Windows Phone 7 ‘Phantom Data’ explained

Windows Phone 7 was the latest to fall foul of the data battle when it was discovered last week that the OS was gobbling data while idle.

Web forums flooded with users complaining of WP7 handsets that were using up monthly data plans even when not in use.

Microsoft has investigated the matter and found that the majority of problems were caused by a third party service:

“We have determined that a 3rd party solution commonly accessed from Windows Phones is configured in a manner that may potentially cause larger than expected data downloads.

We are in contact with the 3rd party to assist them in making the necessary fixes, and are also pursuing potential workarounds to address the configuration issue in case those are needed. At this point in our investigation, we believe this is responsible for most of the reported incidents.”

According to Microsoft, those affected by the data sapping software are in a less than one percent minority. The company also explained that they are currently investigating workarounds to the problem.

The live tile system of Windows Phone 7 is constantly updating itself to keep things like the Facebook app and email fresh. This can lead to extra amounts of data being used.

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